Written by Aaron Sarnecky
BULLSEYE, ‘BULLSEYE BUGGY JUMP’ SUMMARY:
In this new Fox game show, four men and four women compete in several challenges focusing on the titular bullseye, with the winner collecting $50,000. In this episode, contestants must drop sandbags from a helicopter, grab bullseyes while being dunked into a pool, and crash into targets with a dune buggy.
The online description of this game show is a little vague and misleading. On TVGuide.com it mentions that contestants have to “literally aim themselves at the target” to win the cash prize. It makes it sound like someone is shooting them out of a cannon into a giant target, which is just not the case. The dune buggy challenge at the end is the only thing that comes close to that.
That being said, what we do get is pretty good (and I’m not sure how getting shot out of a cannon could be competitive anyway). We’ve seen shows somewhat similar to this one, like ABC’s Wipeout. However, Bullseye is not as intrinsically physical, and it requires a little more planning. And whereas Wipeout is based on a more fixed obstacle course (like the big bouncing balls), Bullseye will be mixing things up more with its challenges.
Speaking of the challenges, they’re more over the top than in other shows. Take the first challenge, in which the contestants have to drop sandbags onto a target while dangling from a helicopter via harness. This actually proves to be quite difficult, even with them hanging right side up. Because of the difficulty, they are judged based on their distance from the bullseye, not on if the sandbag actually lands on the target. But while it’s very exciting to see the group gradually improve, it’s pretty unfair for those going earlier because the contestants following them have a better idea of what to do. Still, it’s an entertaining starting challenge, and the ones that follow (the pool and the buggy) are much fairer.
Like most of these shows, you get to know the people playing a little, though it doesn’t go too much beyond their occupations. That’s probably for the best because, while you want someone to root for, if we had a list of sob stories about why the contestants need the money, those organizing the show might come off as heartless and the show would become more of a reality show. The premiere episode’s batch of contestants is alright, with a few likeable people. A couple of them are little annoying but not overly obnoxious. That’s not a shocker, since these shows always look for extroverted individuals.
But if anyone should really be called extroverted, it should be the hosts. Kellan Lutz (who starred in Twilight) and comedian Godfrey bring the energy the show requires to work. While Kellan mainly tells the contestants what they need to do, Godfrey asks them some light personal questions and makes a few jokes. They’re not gut-busting, but his ability to generate comedy on the fly is impressive.
Besides that, there’s not much else to say about the show. I doubt it’s going to one day sit in the pantheon of great game shows, but it’s entertaining; it’s easy-watching TV you can throw on anytime. Still, it shows the creativity it needs to stand out. I wouldn’t be all that surprised if it becomes a Fox staple.
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Good)
BULLSEYE AIRS WEDNESDAYS AT 9PM ON FOX
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